Photo by Valentina Mezhetskaya, Environmental Education Specialist of the FGBI “Western Baikal protected areas” —recycling point on Olkhon Island in the Pribaikalsky National Park
The Lake Baikal Foundation donated 890,012 rubles to the Pribaikalsky National Park, located in the Irkutsk region, to develop the Trash free National Parks program.
In 2023 we plan the following:
- Separate waste collection on Olkhon Island will continue. Recycling points will be open from May to November, during the period of mass tourism on the island. In July, staff from the Environmental Education Department will conduct educational activities for tourists and local residents in Listvyanka village and on Olkhon Island and explain the importance of separate waste collection.
- A new recycling point will be opened in the village of Bolshoye Goloustnoye. The national park staff will prepare the site, install bins as well as information stands and panels to make sorting of waste even easier. The site will be carefully chosen by colleagues from the forestry and science departments of the FGBI “Western Baikal protected areas” and from the Historical and Cultural Heritage Service of the Irkutsk Region to avoid disturbing the natural ecosystems and historical sites of the national park.
‘Bolshoye Goloustnoye is one of the most visited places on lake Baikal. Irkutsk residents often choose it for a weekend getaway, and tourists from other countries come to see the frozen lake or to start their journey along the Great Baikal Trail. The recycling point here will complement the few collection bins in the village, so tourists will have a convenient place where they can dispose of their waste. In addition, the separate collection system will help form the habit of separating waste, which is globally necessary to conserve resources and slow down the growth of landfills. The eco-events designed for locals and tourists will help people to learn more about sustainable waste management and change their habits for the benefit of nature,’
Viktoria Yakimyuk, environmental education methodologist at the FGBI “Western Baikal protected areas”
For the third year in a row, the Pribaikalsky National Park has been operating separate waste collection sites. In 2022, about 1187 kg of useful waste fractions were collected separately and transported for recycling only because of the coordinated work of the employees of the FGBI “Western Baikal protected areas” and the support of the Lake Baikal Foundation.
We would like to thank our colleagues from the FGBI “Western Baikal protected areas” for their continued cooperation on the Trash free National Parks program, employees of JSC Raiffeisenbank, the Foundation ‘Code of Good’, Barrier Company and the World Around You Foundation for their financial support of the project in 2023.